"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Points to Ponder ...

"My children may bicker, and I may—almost certainly will—complain. But the bickering and the griping are chaff, and what’s left when the winds of time carry them away are the golden kernels I want to savor..."
--Melissa Wiley

November 14, 2008

7 Quick Takes Friday: Jumpstarting a Near-Dormant Blog

Jennifer at Conversion Diary has created a new Friday meme based on her own "Quick Takes" series. I thought it sounded like fun, so here goes! (I hope I get it done before Friday is over!! I'm just not so ... quick.)

1. I've really dropped the blogging ball these past two months. In fact, since school started in August, I've had a heck of a time posting at all--let alone responding to emails. I think I'll turn to Nina at Painted Rainbows and Chamomile Tea as my model in pulling myself together on this point -- if you've commented or emailed me in the past 6-8 weeks, you'll be hearing from me soon! (And then I'll turn to Meredith at Sweetness and Light for my model for how I should be doing this . I don't think I've ever left a comment or sent her an email that didn't get a response within 24 hours -- sometimes even within the hour! Well, I can dream, anyway.) Even my planning site is languishing of late -- and not for lack of things to write about! Hopefully, I'll be able to correct that, soon. We're two weeks into Serendipity's Colonial Trail, and the resources are just great. Stay tuned!

2. I guess all those liturgical feasts we've been celebrating over the past year are really getting embedded in the children's memory! I casually mentioned a couple of days ago that the Feast of Christ the King -- which we celebrated in style, last year -- is already almost upon us. This got the children remeniscing excitedly about their favorite Feast Day dish. Surprisingly, it's not Crown Cake ... it's Shrimp Cocktail surrounded by a crown of homemade tortilla chips! I don't know nutritionally speaking if I should really find that comforting or not, but it does feel like a victory of sorts. :)

3. I wonder how many parents are aware that many of the vaccinations their children are required to receive are created from cell lines long ago derived via abortion? You can read more about it here. But if this concerns you as much as it does me, you'll be excited to hear about this company, AVM Biotechnology (and its non-profit division, Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute) which has dedicated itself to obtaining vaccinations that don't have this horrible moral baggage. (h/t to my ever vigilant sister Trish, via Children of God for Life)

Note: The USCCB issued a statement sometime ago that parents may choose to have these vaccinations anyway, stating that the moral complicity is remote; and the Vatican issued a statement that, while it supports parents' right to refuse vaccinations on the basis of conscience, the parents retain full grave responsibility for any harm that may come should their children contract and spread a disease for which a vaccine exists. The statement further puts the onus of ultimate responsibility on the drug companies, however, whose failure to provide untainted alternatives--especially when such alternatives in many cases already exist!-- places parents in an untenable moral bind.

4. Next week, The Chief and I will celebrate our 10 year anniversary! I had hoped to be as clever as Jessica at Shower of Roses in her gorgeous anniversary post last month, but it is taking me way too long to pull it all together (for example, 10 years ago neither of us had a digital camera; and I don't know where I put all our cool candids. My favorite picture -- which I'll still share if I can find it -- is of Step 1 & Step 2 buckling my shoes for me after I put on my gown, since I couldn't reach around my skirt to do it myself! I also have a favorite video moment; if I can find the time to transfer it to a viewable format, I'll post that, too.)

5. We have the highest gas prices in the continental US (across the street it's currently $2.59/gal). But I just can't get over how quickly the prices are dropping! Just last Friday, the price was a whole 20 cents a gallon higher. And to think that less than 4 months ago, when the price topped out at $4.37, we were ready to take bets on how quickly it would top the $5 mark!

6. Yesterday I received a phone call from a neighbor with children about the same age as our three youngest. Her question: In all honesty, what's the hardest thing about homeschooling? I told her the ugly truth, about the clutter, the out-of-control laundry, the fact that, as we spoke, my 5 year old had begun spooning the leftover hotdog water from lunch -- which, at 3:00, I hadn't gotten to yet -- into the tea kettle; how waking up to a sink full of dishes and a dishwasher that needs to be emptied before I can begin to deal with them can put me over the edge.

As I listened to myself, I thought, Really? That's it? Man, I complain way too much. Sure, it gets overwhelming at times, but eventually I (almost) catch up. This is a pretty good life we have here, and I'd best not forget that.

7. Meanwhile, the kids and I have just enjoyed another delightful Friday Fun Day. While Junie B. had her horseback riding lesson this morning, the boys and I headed over to McD's for a romp in the playspace (recent posts like these at Building Cathedrals and Well-Mannered Frivolity made me think twice about it, but at that time of day there's rarely anyone else even there, so I'm hoping the risk is small!)

By then, SB was awake, and we went for a walk/bike ride to absorb the last light of this glorious, temperate fall day. We tried our hands at homemade flour tortillas (surprisingly easy, by the way), for a dinner of cornbread, spicy refried bean tacos, veggies and homemade applesauce. Bedtime came early tonight -- it's not even 10:00 and here I am with a moment all to myself!

Welcome to My Blog!

We are a Catholic homeschooling family of 7, a blend of step children, bio children and adoptees, making our way to heaven the best way we know how! Here's a record of our journey, with thoughts on anything we care about--mostly homeschooling, faith and finding a way to make it all work for each of us. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your visit!